No ‘free for all’‚ say MPs as they give thumbs-down to free higher education
The state is not a "free for all", according to MPs who on Tuesday argued against free higher education‚ saying it was not practical‚ too costly and could eat up at least a quarter of the country’s GDP were it to be implemented. The legislators were discussing research findings by the parliamentary budget office‚ which presented a fiscal analysis of the cost of higher education in the country and various funding models to the standing committee on appropriations. The budget office provides independent advice and analysis to parliament on matters related to the budget and other money bills. The debate came as the fees commission‚ whose sittings are underway in Pretoria‚ took submissions from various stakeholders including Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande. The committee heard how the country is sitting with a 12% recovery rate of student loans offered by NSFAS. For 100% coverage of undergraduate headcount enrolments‚ the government would need more than R250bn in additional fun...
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